Let me start by saying that we raised a glass to cherished and absent friends who were done in by the weather and could not/will not be able to join us for the festivities. It is tough, but we soldiered bravely on. Happily, 7 people got together at Frank’s for a whale of a fun afternoon of all sorts of varieties of poker, followed by another splendid evening at Luciana’s.
The wines: Poker Afternoon First
2007 Anthill Farms AV Pinot
This was a generous contribution by Brian, but unfortunately, it was corked—we confirmed after letting it have a couple hours air time
2014 Cullen Cullen Vineyard Ephraim Clarke White
A sauv-sem blend, very herby–rosemary, thyme, some cilantro. Salt and pepper are on display. Rather smooth to taste and quite light.
2013 Kutch Falstaff Pinot Noir
Forest scents around raspberry and wild strawberry. Tasty, in the organic sense. Crisp berries with some snap and grip. Glad to try at this stage of development
2010 San Polo Brunello di Montalcino
Needed the 3 hour decant, opens up with plenty of saddle leather, bits of coffee-mocha and black cherry. Delish–cured meat around cherry and spices.
2012 Carlisle Papa’s Block Syrah
Chris is right–a lot going on in the nose–full plumcake and chestnut, black cherry in the background. Big but controlled–very delicious baked cinnamon and cardamom on top of plum and black cherry
Poema Cava Brut Rose
Didn’t take formall notes on this, but it was crisp and nice enough–less red fruit that one might think
2011 Big Basin Rattlesnake Ridge Syrah
Some diesel, plenty of coffee and sweet currant. Grip and length, plenty of talking points with meat-infused currant and plum
2014 Birichino Besson Vineyard Grenache
This surprises me–plenty of brush and bramble & peppery to the red and black plum. Follow in taste and controlled–not bad!
Dinner
2012 Donnhoff Hermannsholle Riesling GG
Young, but florally alive. Tasty this is, with crisp apple and just a teensy unripe melon, but young–needs to grow out of infancy
2005 Giaconda Aeolia Roussanne
I brought this Almond-peanut scents on nose. Quince for sure. Tasty in an older frame. Repeats with ginger add, a sort of slightly salty back-finish to honey and mineral notes. Maybe better 2 years ago, but plenty interesting
1995 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon
Currant scents filled with coffee notes and some sweet smoked cedar. That’s lovely Silky and very polished red and black currant. mmm, can’t stop drinking it. WOTD
1996 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin
Does not want to come out and play–hint at dark strawberry with slight smoke/kerosene overtones and pum. Geez. 20 years and it needs 2 more decades. Huge grip right now. But it is that sort of demanding presence that I can like in a wine. #4
1973 Bodegas Franco Espanolas Rioja Reserva
Still has some bouquet–dried cranberries and some cocoa. Still has some palate too. Elegant red berry and crabapple. not super-super, but certainly enjoyable
2014 Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Les Clos
Like all the 2014s I’ve had, dynamite in the schnozz with lemon, pink grapefruit and loads of mineral. Out of a mag, this is drinking fine, some finish gets added, though I’ll admit it’s a bit retiring for a Les Clos
2007 Aubert Lauren Chard
Butter and toffee and oak waft up the glass, along with some mineral. On the palate, softer and still with a lot of tropical fruit, but missing the extra gear…not really loving this example
2004 Domaine de Pegau CdP
Baked plum pie, some prune and dried fruits. Still the strawberry-sweet cherry and herbs combined speaks Grenache. Not my fave now, but probably has the stuffing to get out 20 years.
Literally falling asleep, so I’ll pick things up tomorrow.
OK, it’s tomorrow 
2005 Epoch Ingenuity
some glazed walnuts in the bouquet maybe? chickoree and licorice also make an appearance. Plenty big dans la bouche with plum liqueur coming to mind. Sort of stops dead in its tracks though, in the middle of the mouth.
2010 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Chard
smells of dust and lemon and zing. Good carry and length here, real orange marmalade side–lots of length, this keeps going and is, for me, really very good. #3
2014 Desperada Suitor
90% Cab with a bit of Petit Verdot and Syrah. Pepper-backed black cherry and sweet cassis. Maybe a dash of molasses. Coats the mouth, very full plum chokecherry and black cherry. But it has a very lithe form down the throat and is quite a complete experience. Not usually my style, I liked this a great deal. #5
2006 Chateau Branaire Ducru
Scents of cedar box and definite currant-centric. Palate has structure and a certain purity of red fruit, but not much else, to be honest. It’s tough to shift from Desperada to this, but still…
2012 Arcadian Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
Swirling gets red and black cherry and an extra sweeter spices gear. Still putting itself together on the tongue, there’s energy to go the usual 7-12 years, I’d say.
2012 Faillia Hirsch Pinot Noir
In the nose, red fruit frames some baking spice and fresh slices of florals. Well now. This is very statuesque wine. It is tremendously interesting in that, for me, it has some fire at the back and the profile of the wine sort of makes its way back up your throat and into your mouth. But full of red berry and cherry base with lots around it, this has a warmth, in the way you want to cuddle up with. My #2 tonight.
1998 La Spinetta Pin
Had been looking forward to trying this. Light and dark chocolate swirls around hint of Christmascake and a plum base bouquet. To taste, quite juicy, but also on one level–it’s all raspberry with citrus outside, but it’s all at the front. A bit of a disappointment for me.
2015 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris
Uhhmmm—magnificent lilac, honeysuckle and hibiscus–a whole garden of aromatics, I haven’t sniffed any wine this floral in a long, long time. But while there are some replays with touches of yellow fruit, it presents sharp and short to me and doesn’t keep up with the length of the nose. I like the flavours, but not the presentation. It may just need more time.
2003 Chateau Guiraud
From a magnum, pineapple and guava and plenty of vanilla wend their way into the nuzzie. This is fine on the tongue—not much more, but it’s straightforward with light pineapple, a bit of orange and vanilla and honey. I’m beginning to find that Guiraud is a house with the occasional great height and a number of merely good wines.
2003 Heitz Vineyard Cab
Another mag, this had been open all night before I got to the last of it. Yummy cocoa, cedar and likeable sweet currant bouquet. To taste, remains tangy, perhaps with some missing structure but has the elements of dark red and black fruit and some light dust you’d want.
2014 Testarossa SLH Pinot Noir
Fresh, some sandalwood and lots of vibrant red fruit. Good, if young, with strong red berry replays and judicious oak. Promises a good future.
Mike
Mike